r/macro_pads

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a compact, wireless, programmable macropad for a somewhat unusual use case: controlling a Windows 11 application inside a hospital operating room.(clinical cases)

The XPPen ACK05 is almost exactly what I'm looking for, but there's one major issue: the rotary wheel.

The device may need to be placed inside a disposable protective plastic cover during procedures, which makes rotary wheels and knobs difficult to operate. It also needs to be easy to clean(with ethanol or other alcohol) and disinfect between uses, following hospital protocols.

Ideally, I'm looking for:

• 8–16 programmable physical buttons, preferably around 12
• Low-profile, laptop-style keys (scissor-switch, chiclet, or membrane), rather than traditional mechanical keyboard switches, or maybe some silicon based keys
• No rotary wheels, knobs, sliders, or joysticks
• Wireless connectivity, preferably 2.4 GHz via USB dongle, although reliable Bluetooth could work
• Long battery life, ideally weeks or longer between charges(this is critical, bc they forgot to charge sometimes the devices in the cilinc)
• Individual key remapping to trigger custom keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11
• Buttons that remain easy to press through a protective plastic cover, even while wearing surgical gloves
• Ideally, a surface that tolerates repeated cleaning with hospital disinfectant wipes(alcholos, ethanol or something like that)
• Customizable labels or markings would be a bonus bc i don't know each buttons function)

The budget is flexible, but prefer cheap options, and availability in Europe would be preferred.

I've also looked at devices like the Luminkey Nova Mini, but most alternatives seem to use relatively tall mechanical switches. Also screen not necessary bc of the battery lifetime. I have already looked some options but they were not ideal. (stream deck mobile, Xencelabs Quick Keys, Keychron, storm interface 700)

I'm specifically looking for something with the flat, compact design of the XPPen ACK05, just without the wheel.

This is currently a hardware evaluation. Any solution would still need appropriate infection-control, safety, and reliability validation before clinical use.

Does anyone know of an existing product that fits these requirements?

I'm also interested in industrial or medical-grade programmable keypads, not just consumer macropads.

Thanks!

https://preview.redd.it/qjq8fcym8puh1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=96c2c03cd5649ea506080917c0c741b9e9092f7a

https://preview.redd.it/ctwiljti8puh1.png?width=625&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7d0acea3079309c7cd3cbddf5364858e09e620c

I was looking for a macropad sometime ago and after some digging I eventually chose the duckypad. However it turns out the duckypad is not quite what I am looking for.

I think my biggest problem with duckypad was the lack of coordinate driven mouse movement. I was explained to that for mouse to be able to make precise coordinate-driven movement, a software running on the PC is just inevitable, and duckypad is purely HID.

So here I am again looking for another macropad suggestion and I wonder if anyone can share some insight. Here are some of my current use case:

- I am currently using Razer Synapse and their macro to make pixel-precise cursor movement and execute sequences of mouseclicks and keypresses assigned to the mouse side buttons. However Synapse is a pretty bad software and I do not want to expand on that ecosystem by buying their macropad.

- I am also executing AHK on the side. But I want to be able to achieve that like I would with a keypress on the mouse with the Synapse instead of having my cursor leave the client, double click on the corresponding AHK and have it refocus on the client again to execute the script.

I am looking at elgato stream deck with is rather expensive especially after paying quite an amount for the duckypad, and I am not sure if it is what I am looking for either.